Can opening and liquid pouring device



July 16, 1935. D. M PHERSON CAN OPENING AND LIQUID POURING DEVICE Filed April 28, 1934 11v VENTOR $wwm MC Patented July 16, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CAN OPENING AND LIQUID rotmmo DEVICE Duncan McPherson, San Diego, Calif.

I Application April 28, 1934, Serial No. 722,899

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a device designed to cut an opening in the end of a sealed can and to direct and control the flow therefrom of the liquid or other contents, such device being a metal cutting blade designed for punching a hole in the end of a can, this punch being imbedded in or connected to the inner side of a funnel and projecting from the throat thereof, the funnel mouth being so designed and shaped as to carry a sealed can of liquid when the same has been pressed down and upon the punching blade, thus releasing the contents. of the can to flow through the hole in the can and into. and through the funnel, there being another cutter blade or spur higher up on, the inside of the funnel so that after the puncturing blade has been forced into the end of the can the can may be manually pressed back against the spur blade, cutting a gash in the side of the can, which will (1) act as a vent hole, (2) look the can tightly in position and (3) so damage the can that it cannot be refilled. The walls of the funnel are so shaped and the central punch connected at such an angle therein that when the can is forced down on the punch, the hole in the can and base of the punch are always visible to the eye, and observation can at all times be made of the liquid flow to determine if the drainage of the can is complete. w

The punching of the hole in the end of the can may be accomplished by grasping the funnel tube and pressing the sharp point of the punch down into the end of the can, the spur acting as a guide to direct the punch close to the periph cry of the can, and the can and funnel are then turned upside down before the vent-hole gash is made in the side of the can. With the central punch as an axis and one hand on the can and the other on the funnel spout, the leverage makes the puncturing of the side of the can very effective. I

A handle extending from the funnel wall .013- posite to the cutting spur in direction, and approximately at right angles to the spout ofthe funnel, is also provided, this to afford another means of punching the hole in the end of the can by holding this handle in one hand and with the other hand pressing a can down against the punch, the funnel meanwhile being in the mouth of some receiving receptacle, as the inlet for putting oil into an automobile engine, and then with thehand on the can to press the can against the side cutting spur.

Because of the fraudulent substitution at automobile service stations of inferior for high grade (c1. zen-23) engine oil, many brands of oil are now being supplied to the public in sealed cans, and the need has arisen for an effective device for opening the ends of the standard size cans now in use and which will also control the flow of the oil from 5 can to engine.

The sale of sealed oil cans has also raised another problem of fraud prevention and it becomes necessary not only to puncture the end of the can but also to damage the can sufficiently to pre- 10 vent it being re-filled.

My object has been to devise a novel and better appliance for punching the end of the can and drawing off the oil through a short pipe or spout, a spout which could be inserted into the inlet tube of the engine, and which would stand without being held by hand while the oil is draining from the can. And particularly that the device would attain these two objects:

1. Visibility.0perator whether holding the device or not to be able to watch the flow of the oil without the necessity of lifting the can or device to see if all the oil has drained out of the can.

2. Destruction of can.Defacement or damage to wall of can to prevent possibility of re-filling same, this as a protection to both the public and the oil producer from fraud.

Reference is hereby made to the drawing in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the can punch and spout in operative position, some of the parts being shown in dotted lines in connection with a can. 35

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section of the essential parts of my punching spout shown in one operative position and before punching a vent in the side wall of the can.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved punch and spout.

The drawing shows how the cutter blades puncturing the can at two different angles and remaining buried in the can in such positions do effectually lock together the can and device, and the can is removable only by reversing the operation used to attach it.

The inlet oil pipe to most automobile engines is so built that the spout of my device will stand in such position that the oil can be left to drain 50 of itself without attention.

- It is not necessary, as in the use of otheroil dispensing devices commonly in use, to constantly lift the device to see if all the oil has drained out of the can, for the fennel remains open to vision and the oil can be seen flowing out of the can and into the funnel. This is so when the can stands straight on the central punch, but particularly so when the can is, laid back on the spur cutter. A device to hold a can unattended, combined with visibilityiof drainage, is new.

With the use of my device there is no necessity of putting an air vent in the top of the can for the gash in the side serves that purpose perfectly.

Additional advantages attained by the use of 'my device are:

'7. Cleanliness in handling oil filling operation.

8. My punch'spo'ut will puncture any size of can. I

9. Curls lip of tin up in the can.

There are in general use'at service stations many types of dispensing cans designed to receive a certain size, the one quart sealed can of oil for instance, and will not operate with larger sizes. My device will operate with all sizes.

Referring to the drawing, the funnel 2 may be composed of any suitable material but is preferably of metal, the lower portion of said funnel being prolonged into the spout l.

The passageway in said spout is indicated, and at the throat thereof, 20, I secure the hollow punch 4, which is provided with the sharpened point 4a, for effecting a ready entrance into the end of the can. v

The punch 4 may be secured by any approved manner to the said funnel 2, but for the purpose of manufacture and convenience I prefer to have the same constructed of steel and die cast integral with the said funnel.

It will be observed that the hollow of said punch 4 forms a. continuous passage with the interior of the spout I. The spur 5 is mounted on the end of an extension of the funnel, and this spur is provided with a groove or indenation 5a to permit of the ready admission of air to the interior of the can.

For the purpose of ready operation of my device I provide the hollow handle 3, connected to the extension of the funnel as shown, and connecting with the said hollow is the opening 3a for the purpose of draining surplus oil from the mouth of the funnel when the same is withdrawn from operative position.

Near the throat of the funnel I provide the punch 4 with the opening 41) for the purpose of permitting a more full and complete drainage of the oil from the'can.

The lower or short end of the funnel is indicated as 2b, and is made as short and open as possible to make visible for observation the flow of oil from can into funnel.

In operating my improved device I seize the same by the spout and force the point 4a of the punch 4 into the end of the can near the periphery thereof. After suchentrance is effected, I turn the spout downward and swing the spur 5 toward the wall of the can by means of the handle 3 and puncture the said wall as shown in Fig. 1.

The said puncture may also be effected by swinging the can into the position shown while holding the handle 3 in rigid position.

When the first can of oil is to be opened I prefer to place the can in a level position and to punch the same from the top by grasping the spout and forcing down the point as described, then taking hold of the handle to direct the spout into the engine oil-receiving inlet and at the same time with the other hand forcing the can down on to the spur to puncture the wall of the can. After the oil is run out of the can I permit my device to stay in position as I remove the can;

then, While holding the handle with the spout in that position, I take a new can with the other hand and force it down against the punch and then against the side puncturing spur, repeating this procedure until the engine is supplied with sufficient oil.

I then remove the device, raising the funnel above the level of the handle, and the free oil I clinging to the funnel and mouth thereof is permitted to drain back into the hollow of the handle 3, the same being sufiiciently tilted for that purpose. The device can then drain out by being allowed to stand in some receptacle made to receive the spout.

It will also be noted that the funnel extension continues to a point beyond the venting spur and so will catch, while the device is in operative position, any oil which may ooze out at the vent and carry it down into the main flow of oil.

Without any handle 3 my device is still a complete and operative apparatus, but without this handle the device would, for convenience of operation, be lifted out from the engine inlet every time a can of oil was emptied and a new can was to be used. The advantage of this handle is considerable for there is a lot of messy dripping oil to contend with in any device which must be removed, as I believe all those now in use must, each time a new can of oil is to be added in place of one to be removed.

While I have described in the foregoing specification a particular and preferred form of my improved apparatus I by no means desire to be understood as confining the scope of my invention to such particular form, as it is obvious that other and various forms of construction could be employed without departing from the spirit and purpose of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a punching spout for oil cans, a hollow punch constructed to effect an opening in an oil can through manual operation, a funnel, the mouth of which forms a continuous passage with the interior of said punch, and means connected with said funnel for venting the can on the side thereof when the oil is pouring therefrom.

2. In a can punching spout for oil cans, a hollow punch constructed to effect an opening in an oil can through manual operation, a funnel, the mouth of which forms a continuous passage with the interior of said punch, and means connected with said funnel for venting the can on the side thereof when the oil is pouring therefrom, said venting means being a metal cutter rendering the can ineffective as a'container for ed on the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can, and a handle adjafecting complete discharge of oil from said can, and means connected with said funnel for cutting a vent in the side of the can to vent same when oil is pouring therefrom.

4. In a punching spout for oil cans, a hollow punch constructed to efiect an opening in an oil can through manual operation, a funnel,

the mouth of which forms a continuous passage with the interior, of said punch, said punch being provided with an opening communicating with the interior of the can for the effective discharge of all the contents of said can, and means connected with said funnel for cutting a vent in the side of the can to vent same when oil is pouring therefrom.

5. In a can punching spout, a funnel, a punch located in the throat of said funnel and adapted to punch a hole in the end of a can, and a spur connected with the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can after the punch is manually operated and at an angle to the line of axis of the punch.

6. In a can punching spout,-a funnel, a punch located in the throat of said funnel and adapted to punch a hole in the end of a can, and a spur connected with the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can after the punch is manually operated and at an angle to the line of axisof the punch, said spur providing a vent and locking device.

7. In a can punching spout, a funnel, a punch located in the throat of said funnel and adapted to punch a hole in the end of a can, and a spur connected with the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can after the punch is manually operated and at an angle to the line of axis of the punch, said spur being grooved and providing a vent and locking device. I

8. In a can punching spout, a funnel, a punch located in the throat of said spout, a spur mounted on the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can, and a handle adjacent to said spur' for the manual operation of same.

cent to said spur for the manual operation of same, said handle being hollow, said hollow communicating with the inner wall of said funnel adjacent to said spur.

10. In a can punching spout, a funnel, a punch located in the throat of said spout, a spur mounted on the wall of said funnel and adapted to pierce the side of the can, and a handle adjacent to said spur for the manual operation of same, said handle being hollow, said hollow communicating with the inner wall of saidfunnel adjacent to said spur, said funnel having the wall on which the handle is attached tilted more in line with the punch and axis of the spout than the other side, the other side wall being shorter and lower and at a greater angle to the punch, to make visible for observation the flow of the liquid contents of the can into said funnel when the can is in operative position.

11. In a can opening and liquid pouring device, a spout, a funnel mouth to said spout, meansfor puncturing an opening into the end portion of a can placed over said funnel mouth, a handle means placed on the outerside of said funnel month, said handle'means being hollow with said hollow communicating with the inner wall of, said funnel, said handle at an angle with said spout adapted to permit all free liquid ,to flow back into the handle hollow when the spout is tilted upward.

12.'In a can opening and liquid pouring device, a spout, a funnel mouth to said spout, a handle means on one side of said funnel mouth, a holding means at said funnel mouth for placement of an unopened can filled with liquid, means for puncturing a hole in said can at a point in the can above the funnel month, said handle means being hollow, said hollow communicating with the inner wall of said funnel and at an .angle adapted to permit all free liquid to flow back into the handle hollow when the spout is tilted upward.

' DUNCAN MCPHERSON. 

